Security ramped up for annual Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting after gunman killed UnitedHealthcare CEO

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Former NYPD inspector describes ‘unusual’ gun used in murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO

Former NYPD Inspector Paul Mauro says the gun used in the murder of CEO Brian Thompson on a New York City sidewalk was not typical of a professional hitman.

Security was ramped up for the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center’s iconic Christmas tree Wednesday evening, hours after a masked gunman shot and killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO outside a midtown Manhattan hotel just a few blocks away. 

Chief of Department Jeffrey B. Maddrey said there would be a “massive presence” of police, including additional officers in the subway.

A split image of the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the Rockefeller Christmas tree.  (AP Images)

“This is a terrible event, but people are going to go on and enjoy the tree lighting tonight,” he said.

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UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed at close range outside the Hilton Hotel Wednesday morning. 

This undated photo provided by UnitedHealth Group shows UnitedHealthcare chief executive officer Brian Thompson. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group )

In the chilling video obtained by Fox News Digital, Thompson is seen walking down a New York City sidewalk when a masked man wearing a black hooded jacket and a backpack fatally shoots Thompson before fleeing the scene on a bike, disappearing into Central Park. 

The suspect was still at large as of Thursday morning. 

WHO WAS UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON?

The violence didn’t stop crowds from attending New York City’s annual tradition later in the evening. Fifty-thousand multicolored lights illuminated the iconic tree to cheers from the gathering crowds. 

A New York police officer keeps watch at Rockefeller Center before the start of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

The giant Norway spruce, which this year hails from a tiny Massachusetts town, is also topped with a Swarovski star crown featuring 3 million crystals.

The 74-foot-high tree was cut down last month in West Stockbridge and trucked to Rockefeller Plaza. Wednesday night’s ceremony marked the culmination of the tree’s long journey to New York, which began in 2020 when the center’s head gardener spotted the tree and asked its owners if they’d consider donating it.

A pedestrian stops for a security check on 51st Street upon arriving at Rockefeller Center for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

The famous holiday attraction, located above the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink, will be on view through mid-January. On Christmas Day, the tree will be lit for 24 hours.

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Once the holiday season is over, the tree will be used for lumber for Habitat for Humanity.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.